So Corn Is Evil?

In the tradition of Supersize me a group of film makers attacks the farm industry instead of putting the blame on irresponsible people.

The King Corn website.

The CBS Report



The Trailer

Updated 10/29/08 156.25 Combined Miles!!!

Hello TEAM VOICE! This weekends virtual event is on and Chris is the first out of the gate he decided to plus his run by 1.6 miles.

Rae's family have posted times from a nice Friday evening run. Nice job Eric, Rae, Nat. And Aaron nice speed dude!

Joggerblogger is our first Saturday runner posting a nice pace of 8.66.

Jonathan has used this weekends event to put the hurt on Uncle Scrooge. Nice job Jonathan check your email soon for your Scrooge medal.

Its shortly after 3:00 on Saturday and my email has alerted me to two more finishers.

Craig has reported in with a nice run in the low 9's and he confirms that Kristin is dedicated to getting a run in but work is a factor for her this weekend. That's no problem Craig just update us when she gets the chance to get out there.

And the fabulous Kate has run a full half marathon today 13.1 miles finishing in just over 2.5 hours. Awesome Kate way to plus those miles!!!

Sunday Update:

I received word over on Tundra this morning that Mike finished his run at a pace below 9.00. This makes Mike the third Team Voice member below that pace.

Lisa our post op princess discovered that the run she plotted out did not quite reach the full distance she expected. Still we are thrilled to have her back out there and running. Nice job Lisa.

As I'm typing I just received notice that Deb from Michigan has put in a full twelve miles today. Great work Deb!

My personal goal today was to finish between 02:15 - 02:30 and I managed to do that coming in at 02:20:09. I will leave the details for a post over on Tundra. I will try to get that up tonight.

We have heard from Andy and Matt.

Andy is calling his outing a wog but his pace makes him the 4th to fall in the below 9 pace zone. Nicely done Andy.

Matt is another Team Member to plus his mileage. Posting a nice 10 miles.

Heath has returned from the Twilight Zone posting a good run of 8.25 Miles in 1:57 Min. Click on his link for further details.

10/29 Yeah we did it. Craig has left a comment stating that Kristin did complete a 9 mile jog. This takes our team mileage up and over 150 miles. Way to go Kristin!


I do not know who the runner in this picture is, but with Chris's comment about running the colorful fall trails I thought this was a nice fit.

I have been posting links to everyones blogs as these come in. Some Team Members like Jonathan and Craig are posting further details about their runs. So stop by everyones sites and catch up on whatever their most recent post is all about.

October Virtual Run Details - Roster Updated 10/13

Margaret,

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I do have an alternate idea. Let’s do an overlay featuring Disney’s Lonesome Ghosts with Mickey,Donald, and Goofy. I am posting some artwork for the new theme.



Attention Team Voice!!!
The next of our virtual runs will be held the weekend of October 18th. Being this close to January we should all be able to do 8 miles. So here are the details for this months run.

Pick either the 18th or 19th for your run.
Complete no less than a 13K(8.06 miles)under the minimum pace.
Feel free to push your pace and distance if you choose to.
Cold weather and having to use a dreadmill are no excuse. I know the ones at the gym stop at 60 minutes but you can always restart.
My run will actually be the Des Moines Half Marathon on the 19th.

I've put together something that I hope will add some fun to this event. When runners at Disney's TOT13K finish they can ride the Tower Of Terror. I have produced an audio ride thru mixing the TOT audio and the audio from the cartoon short Lonesome Ghosts. I think you will enjoy it.

On the morning of the 18th I will email the sound file out to each participant. After your run sit back with your mp3 player and enjoy the audio. Do not cheat and listen before you run.

I have many of your addresses. But I do not have everyones. For example I thought I had mgreenes address but I can't find it. When signing up either leave your email address in the comments of this blog or write me directly at caballerofan@mchsi.com

For those of you not running I will be sharing the audio with All About The Mouse and Those Darn Cats. Perhaps you may hear it on one of those shows the following week.

A Note from Margaret.

Jeff,

I received a call today from a concerned parent regarding the Children of the Corn overlay planned for the Corn Elevator of Terror 13k run this month. The concern is that the event and attraction will be too intense for our younger participants. I know that time is short but is there another direction that we could take with this planned overlay?

Regards,
Margaret.

Spaceship 17.8 Million Dollars.


Rubber Life Raft 45 dollars.


Picnicing with friends next to a corn field on an unknown planet. Priceless.

The Folksmen Return

Following a record sold out three night tour of the Passamaquoddy Playhouse "The Folksmen" will be returning this October to join us for another picnic following the "Elevator Of Terror 13K." Mark, Alan, and Jerry will be with us all day and even stick around for the evening bonfire and hayrack ride.

Here are some clips from their August Cornfest visit.

In this first clip I had asked the guys to sing one of my favorite songs from their Barnyard Symphony album entitled "Corn Wine". They admitted it had been some time since they had performed that number, but after a rusty start they pulled it together nicely.



Afterward we sat down for a brief interview.

Let The Run Begin: Our First Results Are In.

Due to travel. I went out this Friday and got my run in.
9.37 Miles in 96.37 minutes. Not bad. I expect many of you will do better when they clear the traffic off the highway.

Don't forget to send Deb your results. debwdw@gmail.com

I certainly am looking forward to Marcelin but I must admit I am anxious to return and see how everyone has done.

PRIDE!!!

We had some reports of cold and flu like symptoms out there this weekend. Hope those pf you affected get well soon. We do have some reported times and are expecting to see a few more today. Congrats to those who have finished.

September Michigan Apple Fun Run Announced

Sorry about the late notice on this one gang. Margaret has really been busy compiling ag reports and somewhere in the shuffle I missed this very important announcement. It seems that Deb from Michigan sent us the details for the next virtual team meet and I just now came across this.

Click banner for a larger view.

The event is scheduled for Saturday September 20th and once again we have two distance choices. A 10k and 15K. I know you're all thinking that Deb has upped the ante a bit here and you would be right. With only four months to go we should all be steadily progressing at this point. Yes you read correctly only four months, can you believe it? MAINSTREET AWAITS!!!

According to the banner Deb will be serving a virtual breakfast brunch with hot apple cider following the event. So be certain that you have your post run cider ready and toast Team Voice following your run. And while your drinking your post run cider why not snap a picture and send it to Deb.

A special appearance by Vince Gill and the Fruit Guys singing "Daddy Was The Apple Of My Eye" has also been arranged for the event.



So make plans today and lets fill up this roster.



Craig and Kristin are the latest to join. Let us know which event you guys are doing Craig.

Be sure to stop over to Deb's Blog too.

October Run Announced

2009 Iowa Power Farming Show Announced

You've just finished your first Disney World Half Marathon. What are you going to to now?

I'm going to the 54th Iowa Power Farming Show!!!

Be sure to Ski Corn Mountain while attending the show.

It's a Coin Toss!

The results from the 2008 Iowa State Fair "Cast Your Kernel" event are in. Obama finished just a tassle ahead of McCain.

Final Results Are In

Congrats to Mike and Mike for already getting out there and finishing their runs. They have posted details in the comments on my last Tundra Post. I had hope to be out the door three hours ago. But that was not in the cards.(Due to the Olympics and my job) More on that later though. Now it time to run!

I'm back. Temp here today. 80F with 58% humidity. I decided to plus my run just a bit when I saw Dewey hanging out at the far end of that last row. Finished 6.7 Miles in 71min. My Route also took me past some cornfields. Lots of comments being posted over on Tundra. Stop by and read them under It was bound to happen...
Congrats also to Craig and Deb for another couple of great runs. Digging the Team Spirit today guys!

While other joggers are waiting in line. Here are results as of 2:00PM CST. There is a rumor that Bryan Cornfeld may show up as well. Hope you do Bryan. So far we have had a great response. Lots of comments on everyones blogs. I have to give Heath the post of the day though. Stop by Basils Spyglass to read his full report.



As the sun begins to set here in the mid-west we still have some Team Voice members out in the field. We've fired up the generators to light the field for those running this evening. Currently out there somewhere is Rae! and her daughter Natalie. If I have her name wrong please correct me. (I am going by the Kids Corner story she sent me.) Kristin Wheeler pulled a twelve hour shift at work today and Craig has told me she will be posting a run. Matt timed his 10K run and then plussed it out to 10 miles. Good job Matt!

Finishers Board updated 8/11/08. Thanks for submitting your Saturday morning run Bryan. Good to have you on the board. Kristin and Kate have been added to the finisher board. Kristin completed her 5K in under 30 minutes and Kate seriously plussed her run and completed 15 miles. Way to go ladies!!!

Just like the corn that is reaching toward the sky, the excitement here is beginning to grow. Although we are still waiting to hear if the elusive Bryan Cornfeld will be joining us, I am pleased to announce that Mike "The Machine" Greene has joined the roster. Glad to have you Mike.



In other news Matt recently asked about how mileage stacks up against kilometers. So I am including a chart on this post. Simply take the kilometer and times it by .62. That means when October rolls around and we all join Rae! in a virtual TOT13K the goal will be 8.02 Miles. More details on that in the future.



Because the corn rows only allow one runner on the course at a time, I remind you, this will be a staggered start event. I've asked our good friend Professor Von Drake to monitor all time zones, and to post finishers up on the blog throughout the day on Saturday. Isn't that right professor?

"Mine goodness yes it is! I vill be keeping a close eye out all day long. Especially on that Chris guy and his lavender blue dilly dilly dilly singlet."

Can you hear it?

There's a rustling in those leaves. The Corn Fest Virtual Team run is fast approaching. Recently added to our roster is Lisa Farry from the "Those Darn Cats" podcast.



Jonathan has announced that he plans to plus his 5k run and do a full 4 miles. Which brings up a great point. Any participant who would like to plus either run please do so. The key to this weekend is getting everyone out the door.



I encourage everyone to give this weekends workout their best effort. You may very well surprise yourself. Oh and don't forget to e-mail me with your results.

How could I have missed this?

And now a case of gee I'm surprised but not really. Iowa has a minor league baseball team called the Cedar Rapids Kernels. The real kicker is they play on....wait for it... wait for it...Pop Corn Field! I am not making this up. Click On the banner to learn more.



Here is a clip from a game I found on Youtube.

Beloit Snappers vs Cedar Rapids Kernels Ouch!!!



Two other important things a in the works. The Iowa State Fair will be opening up on August 7th. I will be attending on the 11th. Mid afternoon I will be enjoying a Dole Whip. Woo Hoo!!!

2008 Iowa State Fair -- "U Gotta Love It"



Secondly lets not forget about the 1st ever Cornfest virtual Team Voice jogging event on Aug 9th. As you can see the course continues to shape up and the stairs have been placed out on the 10K trail. We even got a few volunteers to give a test run.

Growing

Well the both the course and our roster are growing. Click on the roster image to see who has already signed up. Who else is in?

Announcing Further Details of the Cornfest Fun Run

Details for the 1st Annual Cornfest Fun Runs.

Date 8/9/08

Start time: Due to the single row nature of the course this will be a staggered start event.
The first participant will be allowed in the field beginning at 6:00AM.
Remaining participants will be allowed in the field throughout the day.

Participants may choose from two courses. The 5K (3.1 Miles) or 10K (6.2 Miles)
Any runner who would like to run greater distances may do so by entering the adjacent field following their selected event.

Course descriptions:

5K (3.1 Miles) is primarily a flat course with a slight rise along the highway at 1.4 miles.

10K (6.2 Miles) is a bit more challenging with two step platforms placed on the course.

I know that many of you are saying WOW I can’t wait, how do I sign up. Registration is simple. Just leave a comment here or over on Snowy Tundra saying “I’m in” and which distance you have chosen. I will be posting a list of those who sign up and their chosen distances on the Big Boy sign.

The simple truth of this virtual meet event.

Agree that wherever you are on Saturday August 9th you are committed to finishing one of these distances under a 16:00 minute pace. However, I encourage you to put in your best effort and finish at your best possible pace. Who knows, you may surprise yourself.

On race day, post your results in the comment section you will find on this blog. All finishers will receive a virtual Corn Cob key ring.



Send Questions to allaboutthecorn@mchsi.com

Cornfest Run Announced

I am pleased to announce that the 1st Annual Cornfest Run will be held August 9th 2008. The corn rows have been selected and the course is really taking shape.

Futher details soon.

Fred Says Goodbye

What A Hoot It Started With A Coot

Yours truly is feeling rather sheepish to be admitting this, but another a-maize-ing connection between the Disney company and the agricultural industry has been discovered and I missed it.

During our trip to the “World” last December we did not visit Mickey’s Toon Town Fair. Thankfully for us, we have a couple of locals down there who are willing to keep their eyes and “ears” open when visiting the parks. Recently Glenn Whelan and Bryan “Disney is second home” Ripper visited the Kingdom yet again. This time via an e-mail communication from Glenn I asked him to keep an eye out for corn products. I had a suspicion that somewhere around Goofy's Wiseacre Farm there might be some corn.

Glenn surprised me with several photos and I learned something new about Toon Town. Did you know that this section of the Magic Kingdom was founded by none other than Cornelius Coot the Great Great Grandfather of Donald Duck?

And his primary contribution to the towns prosperity was corn. It’s true and it just goes to show you that corn goes well beyond Iowa.

According to Wikipedia Cornelius also founded Duckburg and Calisota. To learn more about Cornelius visit this link and see what others have contributed regarding his history. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelius_Coot

As a bonus today here is Donald's Family Tree.

Glenn here is a big old YEE HAW!!! of thanks for your contribution this week.

And I would like to remind any of you other readers out there that we at AATC welcome any corn related story or photos you care to share with us. Just send them to. allaboutthecorn@mchsi.com or to caballerofan@mchsi.com

Imma Going Back.

Monday 2/04/08

It’s 6:35am and I have just finished a delightful breakfast of poached eggs and toast.
These were not your ordinary poached eggs. They were served with a light salmon glaze. A taste combination that at first caught me off guard but two bites into it and I was hooked.

As I sit here enjoying my coffee the soft creaking sounds of a water wheel can be heard from outside. The Mill itself located on the Ripper River once belonged to the Harper Family. The river is only one on many rivers that join the Rivers of America before flowing into Passamaquoddy bay and the Atlantic ocean.

Currently the Mill it is owned by Imma Itchy a retired school teacher who bought the property and has renovated it into a Bed and Breakfast.

Last night being Sunday, I partook in what has become a weekend tradition. Every week Imma opens up her kitchen and provides meals to anyone willing to sing sea shanties for their supper. This was a lot of fun and provided hours of entertainment. I asked Imma why she provided Sunday supper for those willing to stop by and sing.
“I like a house full of people and I want to help the townsfolk feel a sense of community.”

How can argue with motives like that?

I sang ‘Blow the wind Southerly.’

Blow the wind Southerly,
Southerly, Southerly,
Blow the wind
South o'er the bonnie blue sea.
Blow the wind Southerly,
Southerly, Southerly
Blow bonnie breeze,

My true lover to me.
They told me last night
There were ships in the offing
And I hurried down
To the deep rolling sea.
But my eye could not see it
Wherever might be it,
The bark that is bearing
My lover to me.

My reward was the finest bowl of corn and clam chowder I have ever tasted.


Imma and her food hold a special place in my heart. I look forward to taking another trip over to Passamaquoddy.

On a scale of 1-5 Kernels I give the Itchy Bed & Breakfast To learn more about the friendly community of Passamaquoddy be sure to visit http://passamaquoddy.blog.com/

Have a pleasant day, Fred

Isn't that Corntastic.

I found this interesting article over at www.ilcorn.org/Corn_Products/corn_products.html

New tire made from corn may mean ‘good year’ for growers

For as long as farmers have grown corn, they’ve had to plant, harvest, store and deliver it. Now, thanks to a breakthrough which allows for the production of a new starch-based material called bioTRED, they may eventually be driving on it.
Goodyear Tire Co. recently announced the introduction of the world’s first tire, with a compound derived from corn, at a major auto show in Europe.
The new Goodyear GT3, which ranges in 17 sizes from compact to medium-sized vehicles, is the first tire on the market using bioTRED, which uses common corn as its “feedstock.” It is being introduced in Europe first, where Ford will use it as original equipment on a new version of its Fiesta.
Volkswagon has also applied for use of the revolutionary new tire, according to Akron, Ohio-based Goodyear spokesman Dave Russ.
“It’s too early to tell (how many vehicle manufacturers may be using the new tire in the future),” Russ said. “We’re doing tests in Europe first just to kind of get our feet wet. A patented innovation developed at the company’s Luxembourg technical center, BioTRED partially replaces more conventional carbon black and silica. The starch used in its production also comes from a process similar to the one used by food industries, therefore reducing the cost to produce the unique new corn-based tire.
“This presents important environmental advantages, including remarkably lower rolling resistance, and, as a result, less fuel consumption, noise reduction, lower carbon dioxide emissions and less energy consumption in the production processes,” said Filomeno Corvasce, the Goodyear engineer credited with the development of bioTRED.
As for production, the starch derived from corn is then treated to obtain micro-droplets of starch. In the next step, the micro-droplets are treated, transforming them into a biopolymeric filler.
The end product has physical properties that differ substantially for those of traditional fillers. The lower specific gravity of the new material also reduces tire weight and rolling inertia, thus further improving fuel efficiency.
“We’re delighted. It’s a use of a renewable resource and we’re getting just as good or better performance characteristics as traditional compounds,” Russ said.
Russ noted it’s still too early in the marketing process of bioTRED to estimate the possible impact to corn usage and subsequent prices. He did point out that less than one pound of the substance is used in each tire, which weighs roughly 20 pounds apiece.
But it does represent another use of corn, which could eventually help pull prices back to decent levels, according to Mark Lambert, Illinois Corn Growers Association communications director.
“This is a major deal,” Lambert said. “We’ve known we could do this for a long time. It was just a matter of getting the commitment.”
Corn is currently utilized to make everything form explosives and fuel to biodegradable plastics. Lambert said it can also be found in about 3,5000 products found in grocery stores.
“(Corn starch) is really a miraculous substance,” Lambert said. “With oil prices where they’re at, I think we’ll start to see more of this.”
Tire sizes for the first line of bioTREDs range frome 155/7OR13 to 195/65R15.

Whoops, how'd I get here?

I knew I shouldn't have taken that left turn in the Big Thunder Mountain queue line.

That Salesman Sure Saw Us Coming.

Garth and Hub had never met a salesman they liked. In fact, one of their favorite things to do was to sit on the front porch with their shotguns and tea, just waiting for one to come calling.
Word had got around that these two gentlemen were rich. And salesmen showed up nearly everyday because of that. They would not sooner get out of the car before the shots rang out. It was sort of a sport chasing these vultures off their land.
One day young Walter (their nephew) came onto their lives. His mother dumped him off on the two old men while she “went out to start a new life for her and Walter” She too had heard about the money and told Walter to keep a look out. Over the summer Walter and his Uncles managed to grow very fond of each other. Garth and Hub shared stories of their days over in Asia and of the Princess Hub had fallen in love with. Her name was Jasmine.
Walter discovered that his Uncles were indeed very wealthy. He asked them “what good is all that money if you never spend it?” Of course a salesman pulled up about that time. Walter persuaded Garth and Hub to give him a chance. It turned out he was selling a skeet launcher. It was just the perfect thing for guys who enjoyed shooting their guns. This led to many other purchases. One day a salesman came by offering seeds for growing a vegetable garden. Garth like the idea and told Walter and Hub so. Some time later they working the land and looking over the garden, which was about knee high by now.
“What’s this here?” asked Hub
“That’s corn” Replied Garth
“And what’s this over here?”
“Radishes” he replied after walking to the end of the row and looking at a package tag he had staked there.
“And over here?”
“Cabbage”
“Radishes and cabbage look an awful lot like corn?”
Looking over the garden the men knew they had been had.
“That salesman sure saw us coming” said Hub.

The guys end up with a lot of corn and come up with some interesting ways to dispose of it. Including using the skeet launcher. This movie has a lot of heart and the corn is really only a small part of it.

"Secondhand Lions" Robert Duval, Michael Caine, and Haley Jole Osment star in this delightful family friendly film. I highly recommend it.

This is a 5 kernel movie.

Giraffe Spotted In Minnesota Cornfield.

Jonathan, I found you a giraffe. It turns out they grow them out of corn in Minnesota.

Located not far from the twins cities you will find Shakopee, Minnesota. The home town of Sever and Sharon Petersen. Each year they host a Corn Maze and Fall Festival. Learn more about this a-maize-ing couple and their passion for agriculture here.

http://www.severscornmaze.com/gallery.php?mazesection=pastmazes

Call Jana and book your next Minnesota vacation today.

Jeff W. Jan '08

Doc Terminus of Passamaquoddy Got It!

Fritos is the name of a brand of corn chips made by Frito-Lay. Originally called Fritatas, Elmer Doolin was so taken with the bag of corn chips served with his lunch in San Antonio, Texas that he paid $100 for the recipe. In 1932, he started the Frito Corporation. Original Fritos ingredients are limited to whole corn, corn oil, and salt. From 1952 until 1967, the Frito Kid was the company's official mascot.

The Frito Bandito was the cartoon mascot for Fritos from 1967 to 1971. The Bandito was created by the Foote, Cone & Belding Agency, and animated by Tex Avery. The character was voiced by Mel Blanc. The Frito Bandito spoke broken English and robbed people of their Frito corn chips, referencing the "Mexican bandit" cliché often seen in western movies. He also complained that he was being pursued by the "Frito Bureau of Investigation". Pressure from the Nationa Mexican-American Anti-Defamation Committee and others prompted an update to the character; his gold tooth and stubble were eliminated and his hair combed. The character was completely retired in 1971.

He was replaced by "the Muncha Bunch," perhaps to recall the name of "The Wild Bunch," a popular film of the time.

In the mid-1970s, Fritos' mascot was a W.C. Fields caricature, W.C. Fritos.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Fritos used the catchy commercial jingle, "Muncha buncha, muncha buncha, muncha buncha, muncha buncha, Fritos goes with lunch" (sung to the tune of "Aba Daba Honeymoon.")

For more about information regarding Fritos and it's Disneyland Connection I have included links to some blogs on the subject.

http://www.yesterland.com/casafritos.html

http://perkypickle.blogspot.com/2006/09/in-disneyland-mi-casa-es-su-casa-casa.html

http://matterhorn1959.blogspot.com/2006/02/casa-de-fritos-dining-area-1950s.html

Here are some links to some old commercials.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Quq7bAzQ9cQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dEde_lgefE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPVHOzeGXuA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKCbZ-knhXc

Thanks for playing Folks. Doc, your truckload of Corn Chips is being delivered to Old Salt's Place.

Margaret Jan '08